Halloween Fest delivers frights and fun to downtown Riverhead

Storefront trick-or-treating, a jack-o-lantern contest and a nighttime parade down Main Street were among the highlights of Halloween Fest in downtown Riverhead Saturday.

Food and drink specials and screenings of scary movies only added to the spooks and thrills of the downtown Business Improvement District event.

This was the first official year of the one-day event, though elements of it were adapted from the former Edgar Allan Poe Festival.

Riverhead photographer Elizabeth Wagner captured the spirit of the festival, where the people of Riverhead and beyond went all out to deliver a day filled with fun and frights.

John Golden and Diane Tucci dressed as Witch Doctors. Ms. Tucci is one of the organizers of downtown Riverhead’s first Halloween Fest and the executive director of the Riverhead Business Improvement District.Local Girl Scout Troop 220 distributing Halloween candy to trick-or-treaters in front of the Riverhead Farmer’s Market.Dawn Miller of Amazing Faces painting a flower on Miso Bang, who dressed as a lady bug for Halloween.Little Caden Jarrett (boy in stroller) with his pirate crew: father Cory Jarrett and mother Monica Fernandez of Medford, and grandmother Ileana Giambone of Southampton.James Rooney and daughter Honora of Aquebogue take a break from trick-or-treating to enjoy some hard-earned candy. James is dressed as the Big Bad Wolf and Honora is dressed as Spider Girl.Demetrios Mantzopoulos of Greenport camped outside his family’s restaurant, Mazi, waiting to scare unsuspecting trick-or-treaters.Chris Meza of Flushing, Queens wowed the crowd with his gecko routine. He is also related to the owners of Mazi restaurant.The Sweet Tart Frozen Yogurt Café mascot giving out high-fives in addition to candy.The Campbell family from Queens: Mya (Belle), Aurora (Belle), Peyton (Captain America), Vanessa, Christina, Shane (Ant Man), and Imani (witch).Superman Liam of Long Beach rocking out to the DJ in front of Vines & Hops.The Orlowski family of Port Jefferson Station checking on Melissa’s winning pumpkin in the Jack O’Lantern walk. Child: Harmony (dressed as minion), grandparents Denise and Dave (dressed as hippies) and Harmony’s mother Melissa.Harmony Orlowski posing for a photo with her mother’s prize-winning pumpkin. Winners were decided by the number of toothpicks inserted into the pumpkin by the public.Local Girl Scout Troop 220’s carved pumpkin display on the grounds of East End Arts. The girl scouts sponsored and ran the first Jack O’Lantern Walk and Pumpkin Carving Contest.A crowd gathers for lighting of the Jack O’Lanterns.Nancy Kouris, owner of the Blue Duck Bakery Café, posing with the Blue Duck’s Halloween mascot Odin – who is reading a collection of Edgar Allen Poe poems. This is Odin’s second Halloween at Blue Duck. He is named for the Norse god Odin — the god of war and poetry.Robin Lynch, aerialist, captivating the crowd as she performs in her 20-foot high aerial rig.Zombie ballerinas from Peconic Ballet Theater practicing their routines before the parade.A sugar-skull masked girl walking down to Main Street to start the parade.A frightening silhouette marches behind the fog machineDiane Tucci and fellow Witch Doctors perform a ritualistic dance with their dancing sticks.Diane Tucci and fellow Witch Doctors perform a ritualistic dance with their dancing sticks.Diane Tucci and fellow Witch Doctors perform a ritualistic dance with their dancing sticks.Diane Tucci and fellow Witch Doctors perform a ritualistic dance with their dancing sticks.Witch Doctor John Golden (right), Jack and Sally from the Nightmare before Christmas (middle) and the Strong Island Roller Derby Revolution, Suffolk County’s all-female roller derby league, at left.Spiderman with a light saber being towed in the wagon after a long day of trick-or-treating.A ghoulish trio of Kawasakis.Parade characters spook the crowd by getting up close and personal.An escaped convict and his skeleton accomplice driving their escape vehicle – a classic Ford.A crazed jester pauses to shoot finger guns at the camera.Zombie mermaid being towed in a motorboat with her skeleton passenger.Zombie mermaids shuffling alongside the boat.A creepy clown steering the Riverhead Fire Department truck.Redancers students marching with their banner.Peconic Ballet Theatre students marching.Peconic Ballet Theatre students marching.Peconic Ballet Theatre students marching.Peconic Ballet Theatre Students marching.Winners of the pumpkin carving contest were announced after the parade – winners include Girl Scout Troop 220 and Mr. Reichel (pictured left in green Notre Dame shirt) who won two awards, including best in show.